Restaurant Phone System: Handle the Dinner Rush

A good restaurant phone system answers the easy questions (hours, address, parking) before a person picks up, rings the host stand and the manager at the same time, holds callers politely when everyone is busy, and switches to an after-hours greeting by itself at closing. That keeps the phone from pulling staff away from guests in the dining room.

Patio season is starting, and with it, more calls for reservations, takeout and "are you open?" Here is how to set up your phones before the busy nights.

What Do Restaurant Callers Want?

Most restaurant calls fall into a few groups:

• Hours, address, directions and parking.
• Reservations and party sizes.
• Takeout orders and pickup times.
• Private events and catering.
• Questions for a manager, including vendors and job seekers.

The first group is the most common, and it is the one a recording can answer. Every hours call a greeting handles is one less interruption at the host stand.

Can the Phone Answer Hours and Directions Before a Person Picks Up?

Yes. An auto attendant (the "press 1 for..." phone menu) can play a short greeting and let callers choose. Keep it short; hungry people are not patient.

"Thanks for calling Magnolia Kitchen. For our hours and location, press 1. For takeout, press 2. For reservations, press 3. For private events, press 4. To reach the host stand, press 0."

Option 1 can play a recording: "We're open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 to 10, at 123 Main Street. Free parking is behind the building." Callers who just wanted the hours hang up happy. Everyone else reaches a person. The menu can use keys 0 through 9, and if a caller presses nothing, a fallback sends them to the host stand.

How Do You Ring the Host Stand and the Manager Together?

Use a call group. It rings several phones at once, such as the host stand, the bar and the manager's cell phone through the Telonium app, and whoever is free picks up. Nobody has to run to the one phone by the door.

A separate option for takeout can ring the kitchen pass or whoever handles orders. Private event calls can go straight to the manager or the events coordinator, or to their voicemail, since those callers are usually happy to wait for a call back. Voicemail to email sends each message to an inbox with the recording attached.

What Happens When Every Line Is Busy?

On a Friday at 7, three calls can arrive at once while the host is seating a party of eight. A call queue holds callers in line with hold music and hands each one to the next person who is free, in the order they called. A live board shows how many people are waiting, so a manager can step in.

Make the wait useful. Your hold music can include a short message: "Thanks for holding. You can also see our menu and order takeout on our website." Our post on what callers should hear on hold has more examples.

After the first busy weekend, check the call analytics. They show answered, voicemail and missed calls by day or hour, your busiest times and the most calls you had at once. If Friday 6 to 8 is your peak, put one more person in the call group for those hours. Our post on ringing everyone or letting callers wait in line helps you choose.

What Should Callers Hear After Hours?

Each phone number has a schedule by day and time, with an "at all other times" route for when you are closed. Point that route at a short greeting with your hours, and calls switch over by themselves at closing time:

"Thanks for calling Magnolia Kitchen. We're closed right now. We open tomorrow at 11. To book a table any time, visit our website."

Holiday hours work the same way. You can set your holiday hours ahead of time on each number, with a name, the dates, and whether you are closed all day or open set hours, and they switch on and off by themselves. Add each year's dates, since holidays do not repeat on their own. It is handy for Mother's Day brunch hours or a week off in the summer.

Can You Keep Your Restaurant's Number?

Yes. Your number is on your menus, your sign and every review site. You can move it to Telonium for $10 per number, one time, and it keeps working with your current provider until the move is done. Check it on our keep your number page.

Telonium works over any high-speed internet, including Wi-Fi and the cell signal (4G or 5G). If the restaurant's internet ever goes down, you can set a backup number, such as the manager's cell, so calls still reach someone.

A Restaurant Phone Checklist

• Record a short menu with hours and location as option 1.
• Ring the host stand, bar and manager together.
• Add a queue for the dinner rush, with a hold message.
• Set your schedule and holiday hours on the number.
• Send event and catering voicemail to the right inbox.
• Set a backup number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Restaurant Phone Ring a Manager's Cell?

Yes. With the Telonium app, the manager's cell phone can be part of the same call group as the host stand, and calls out show the restaurant's number.

Can We Set Different Hours for Holidays?

Yes. Add each holiday to the number with its dates and hours ahead of time, and it switches on and off by itself.

Do We Need Desk Phones?

Not necessarily. Many restaurants use one desk phone at the host stand and the app on managers' cells. Desk phones arrive set up if you want them.